All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Preterm delivery is one of the most important fetal health problems in the United States today. Approximately one in eight newborns is delivered preterm and the incidence of prematurity has not decreased in the last 20 years. Most preterm babies, if they survive, often have cardiac, neurologic, ophthalmic, and gastrointestinal problems that can extend even beyond childhood, and perhaps lead to adult diseases such as atherosclerosis. Currently, there are few, if any diagnostic biomarkers available that effectively identify women who are going to deliver preterm. Biomarkers that are able to identify these women at risk would be useful in the deployment of prevention/treatment strategies and to assess the effectiveness of these treatments. Thus, there is a need to develop novel diagnostics that may identify women who will deliver preterm. Especially, diagnostic biomarkers that may be detected in non-pregnant women or in women during the first trimester. The biomarkers may also be used later in the pregnancy to assess the effectiveness of treatment and/or prevention strategies.